No. 11 Seed Lady Buffs Basketball Fights to the end in NAIA Second Round Loss to No. 3 Seed Marian

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The No. 11-seeded Milligan University women's basketball program did battle in Indianapolis in the NAIA Tournament Second Round on Saturday evening, as they faced off with the host site's No. 3-seeded Marian University Knights. After a slow start to the contest for the Buffaloes' offense, they were able to cut the deficit to as little as one point in the fourth quarter but could not stop the Knights down the stretch. In the end, they fell 76-66 to end their historic season.

In the opening quarter there was not much to write home about, as the Buffs scored only seven points. They limped to a 2-of-13 shooting mark in the period. Luckily, they only trailed 15-7, as their defense kept the battle within reach.

In the second, Milligan made some progress, as they cut into the deficit ever so slightly. Milligan shot the rock at a much more palatable 6-of-13 clip to win the period by a 14-11 margin. The Knights struggled to a 5-of-18 period from the floor, but still led the Buffs 25-21 at half.

In the third, Marian struck for 27 points on a 10-of-20 mark, which outpaced the Buffaloes by a pair of points. Milligan's 25 points came via an 8-of-15 period shooting the orange, as it was their best offensive period by far. They trailed 53-46 entering the final frame.

After a furious start to the period for the Milligan offense, in which they cut their deficit to as few as one point at 56-55, Marian pushed their edge back up to seven points at 64-57. Their 8-1 run put the Buffaloes behind the eight ball, and they were unable to recover, as the clock became the Knights' best friend in an eventual 76-66 Buffaloes loss.

Jaycie Jenkins had another huge offensive night, scoring 23 points, besting her season average. She converted on 8-of-18 from the field, including a 5-of-10 mark from long range. Lauren Longmire was also in double-digits, scoring 11 points on a 4-of-8 night.

The squad had 11 dimes in the loss, with Semaj Clark leading the way with four. Longmire and McKenna Myers both had three, and Jenkins had the remaining assist.

Both Jenkins and Clark hauled in 10 backboards, with Tessa Gibson (4), Longmire (3), Lina Lyon (3), Jenna Hare (3) and Myers (2) rounding out the list of players with multiple rebounds. Kenzie Campbell and Caroline Krueger had one apiece.

The team racked up five steals, as the quintet of Jenkins, Myers, Clark, Longmire and Gibson recorded the thefts.

While the final game of the season for the Buffaloes did not end the way they had hoped, the result of the season was certainly positive. The squad won their first Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament Championship and also notched their first national tournament win since the 1998-99 season. Now the team looks forward to a much anticipated 2025-26 season.